Railway track lubricating device



Ang. 15, 1950 w. F. HUCK i 2,518,786

RAILWAY TRACK LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed March l12, 1945 ULM Nul/mv fr 05g INVENToR Patented Aug. 15, 1950 yRAILWAY TRACK LUBRICATING DEVICE William F. Huck, Forest HillsQN. Y.;

1 Application March 12, 1945, Serial N o. 582,275 l 3 claims. (c1. iai- 3) e The present invention, which is a continuation in part o my copending application, Serial No. 557,686, filed :October 7," 1944, now abandoned, for improvements in railway track lubricating devices, relates Ybroadly to improved means for applying lubricant to arail head.

The. principal objectof the invention vis the provision of means embodying a complete system for'ithe efficient and. dependable lubrication of rail fheadsroverlong periods of time.

1'Another andmore` particular object is to provide means for 'applying lubricant Vof high viscosity to the wearing surfaces of rails through the intermediary of means actuated by the wheels of passing trains, and having adesign and conwhich Willappear as the description proceeds, the

invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in'the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, `it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The present invention may be considered in some respects as an improvement over the device disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 557,686, alluded to above. In-theV instant invention, it is preferred to provide an oil supply Vor storage tank in the vicinity of the railway track and sufliciently elevated to feed the lubricant to a level control valve which, in turn willfeed the y lubricant to and maintain a certain desired liquid or lubricant level in an. inertia pump housing of the type mentioned in the aforesaid copending application, and also forming a component unit of the .construction herein described and illustrated.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings-wherein: y

Figure 1 is anelevational `-view,'partly insee tion, of the device, as seen in the direction ofthe Atrain; and

railway track to which view of the means employedv for directly applying lubricantto theadjacent rail head; Fig. V3 is a plan vView of the device Ashown l Fig. rv4,-isa' side elevational view showing the flexible lubricating strips,c depicted in llig.v 2, operatively engaged bythe wheelof a passing Fig. 5 is a fragmentary ,sectional view depicting aslightly modified form ofthe lubricant-applying means illustrated in Fig. 2,y andgshowing same adjustedY or tilted '.to. effect an accumulation lubricant against the rail head. l

Referring now'to the drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views of the preferred form ofthe invention, the numeral I I designates a storage .tank supported 'inany suitable manner, as by the standards I2 and straps I3, and containing a supply of lubricant I. Thelubricant I4 is preferably ofa heavy ytype a diluted with a suitable solvent,..as.described in myxabove-referred to copending applicationNo. 557,686, but any suitable lubricant may be' employed. 1 f

The tank I I is provided with a removable cover.

or'ller plate I5, and a shut-off valve I6 to which is suitably coupled one endof a flexible conduit orhose I'lhaving its other Vend provided Witha pipe tting I8 secured to a float control valve,indicated Vgenerally at .ISLA n The control. valve Ilcomprises a housing 20 having a chamber 2I adapted to receive lubricant from the tank I I `viathe hose I'I. The chamber 2I encloses a hollow float member `22 normally supported by the lubricant within the housing 20 and which is received'from the tank I I. The upv per surface ofv thefloat 22 hasan upwardly protruding valve stem 23 having a conical end 24 received in and adapted to close a conlcally shaped port or opening 25fformed in the top wall of the housing 26. The opening 25 directly' communicates with a vshort passageway or channel 26 wherein the adjacent end of thepip'e ttin'g I8 is secured. 'I'he control valver I9 is supported on a plate 2l having a llange 28 apertured to receive screw bolts 29 which are passed through a clamp member 30. Between the flange 28 and the clamp member 30, an upright 3| is slidably received, whereby when nuts 32 on screw bolts 29 are loosened, it will be understood the control valve I9 may be raised or lowered to the height desired.

Operatively connectedto they chamber 2lofk it is :operatively applied; Fig. 2isI an enlarged, fragmentary sectional inI the control valve I9 by hose 33 having pipe ttings 34, 35 is an inertia pump, indicated generally at 36 and having a structure and functions substantially as described in my copending application above-referred to. The inertia pump 36 has rigidly secured thereto a clamp bar 3l which, in turn, is fastened by screw bolts 38, 39; nuts 46, 4I and clamp plate 42, to the adjacent rail 43 anchored inthe customarymanneron ,the railroad ties 44.

Additionally secured to the rail 43 by the screw bolt 39 and nut 4|, and adjustably retained in the position desired by a set screw 45 and lock nut 46, is an S-shaped bracket 4l adapted to supporta lubricant-applying assembly indicated generally` at 48 and hereinafter described in'd'etail. The means for fastening the lubricatingassembly'll to the bracket 4l comprises a pair of barsy 49, 56 between which the adjacent, extended end of the bracket 4'! is clampingly secured by the screw boltl'thatis. 'protrude'd through.4 horizontallyextending, resilient strips52,f53. rEhe strips 52, 53f1arefflf1el'd finspacedrelation by. a member or strip 5,4 having @slots or .cut-out portions 55. Betweenthe resilient-strips 152, 5'3 :a wick or Ystrip of absorptive, flexible material 56, such f as felt, istpositioned. The wick? 56 has its=extended edge juxtaposed'- a'gainstlthe lhead 51 of the rail '43. The-.upper end: of .the-.screw bolt-i5! is passed through a strip of sealing material 58:: and ris threade'dly 'fengagedwith `an adjacent portion of al-ubricant-conducting-pipe. 59. Itis to' be understood-.thatwhile only one' S-sliaped bracket il with-coasting.parts-is described and illustrated, a plurality of these arefprovided in vspaced relation alonglthe length of the rail 43.

Thefflconductin'gfpipe;55 receives .-a supply of lubri'cant-romthe inertia pump in a-manner similar to 'thatdescribed in my copending application .SerialNd 557,686. yIn the present inventiomla'rtube 6D, provided withpipe fittings 6I, 62 respectively engaged with the inertia pump 36 and'the pipe" 59,. isfadapted to convey lubricant fromthe saidpum'p to the conducting pipe 59 .to ilowrthencethrough holes 63 in this last named pipe and through:coasting,T openings (not shown) in1'ad-jacentLportionsof the sealing strip 58 and upper- 'resilient stripf.'52,lintolthe slots 55 of the spacing member f54=whichcornmunicate with a pocketl'64 formed .betweenA the lower surface of strip.v*52 andthe upper surface ofrabsorptive strip- 56. By reason of the horizontal and comparatively-close spacingzof the strips 52,. 55 and also stripilubricant inthe pocket 64 between these strips-.will have a tendency `to accumulate therein, thisntendencybeing; aidedy by normall capillary attraction. Normally, the obsorptive strip 56 is saturated with-'the lubricant .in thev pocket' 6i, a portiongof this lubricant being transferred to the rail headl bythe wiping action lof the said stripr56 v'when moved vdownwardly by ypassing Wheelieanges. Fromthe'pocket 64, the 4lubricant. is'extrudedby pressure, as hereinafter described,:into contact with the adjacent surface of the rail head 5'! where zthe 'flange '55 o1" vthe wheel 66 in normaltravel willv engage it.

.j In the slightly modified form of' the vinvention shown in Fig. 5, the-lubricant-applying assembly 43-has been angularly adjusted or. tilted bypressureof. theadjusting set screw i5-against the S-shaped bracket 4l'. -In the instant illustration, the absorptive strip56, sho-wn in Figs.. 1 to 3 inclusive, has beenfomitted and Au.pper...strip 52 slightly shortened so that the lower strip 53..wiil extend beyond. thesaid': upper. strip 52'.- and come ...large measure indicated above, will now be brieily described:

From the mairr source of supply in the storage tank. Il, lubricant will flow by gravity through valve 16,' vhose I1, pipe fitting I8, conical opening 25,.- into'and .l'ling'the chamber 2| of control valve I9 until the stern 23 0f float 22 enters and closes `thesaid opening against further ingress of lubricant, after the interior of the inertia pump 36' has'ibeenifilled, 'yiafthe .hose'33, to "a :level correspondingto'f that.fof the `aforesaid chamber 2l :oftli'e control valve I9,'fas best '-'shown in Figure l.

From the inertia pump 36,1.themanner of `supplying lubricantto .the -raily head 5l is analogous in' :a number .of respects; to'ifthe'rmethod outlined in i my copending f application m'entioned: above. Reciprocatlon orsmotion of the rail143 in avertical plane under .thewei'ghtpf vehicle wheels passingf ithereover, *will correspondingly .reciprocate or oscillate the inertia. pump36n and' thelubricating assembly\-48,vboth=.z oawhich yfare rigidly connected --to the4 rail 43 through' 'the intermediary of the clamp bari S'Ifand'bracket and-the auxiliary coacting elements, as described ihereinbefore. The oscillation or reciprocation of;=the inertia purnpf'ffwillfeffectv the -ejection==of- 1.a. predeterminedamount of Vlubricant-.into the -pipe tting 6 ltnencethrough pipefl Ell-andr pipe fitting 62 into the lubricant conducting .piper-59. .Through the spaced holes 63 in the pipe=59 and coacting openings '.fnot shown) infthe-strips58, 52, the lubricant next flows into the slots orcut-out portions "5E-of the spacing-,.strip-,54-.and thence into the .pocketf\64=.formed, as-above-.mentioned between the strips v52v and. 56.

As best shown in Figure l, the resilient steel strip 52,y when-'depressed by ,the 4ilange' 65 ofa passing wheel-,66 (shown."fragmentariiw, will function to extrude lubricant. from the underlying, space or pocketlvlvandf against the rail head 5l.: andfsimultaneously therewith,.the margin or tipxof: the ilubricant :moistened absorptive member-5% will wipingly engagetheadjacent surface of the said rail` head vin a. .continuously .wave-like motion. .This action will :takeplace as eachpassing wheel successivelyzand progressivelyengages the resilient, strip; 52. yItfwillalso =be understood, asmentioned above; that-capillary attraction between ithe; lubricantriand :the horizontally and closelyfdisposed strips52, 53; either with crwithout-tlieaabsorptive strip 56, Willaidin maintaining an appreciablequantity of lubricant in readiness for release fromfthepo'ckeh by .the x,pressureof lpassingwheel angesand for application tothe railfheadfl'. AWhile :it is preferred'to'dispose absorptive .material .v 561between the two resilient. strips52,f53,.itisto be understood that non-absorptive material :may .be employed without deranging the normal functioning oi' the lubricating assembly 48.

As described an'd..illustratedone .purnpx and one lubricatingor applicator assembly flwill suiice.`V to; .lubricate' the surface. Sofi 'the .iailzihead 51 for a considerable extent, but it is to be understood that additional groups of lubricating assemblies 48 may be added and fed from the tank H and control valve I9, and that, if desired, additional inertia pumps 36 may supply a continuous length of lubricating assemblies. v

It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention; and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herewith disclosed, forms a part of the invention included in this application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and Vdesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for lubricating a rail, lubricantapplying means located adjacent to and contactable with said rail, said means including a plurality of resilient instrumentalities arranged to form a pocket, one of said instrumentalities being extended into, proximity and contactable with said rail, lubricant-supplying means connected to an uppermost portion of the resilient instrumentalities and to the pocket; and a member connected to the rail and to the lubricantapplying means, said member being angularly movable, whereby the lubricant-applying means may be adjusted relatively to the rail.

2. In a device for lubricating a rail, lubricantapplying means arranged adjacent to and contactable with the rail, said means including a plurality of resilient instrumentalities arranged in spaced relation and providing a pocket, said Cil instrumentalities being flexible in a vertical plane, lubricant-conducting means connected to the resilient instrumentalities, other means for connecting the said pocket to the lubricant-conducting means, and additional means connected to the rail and to the resilient instrumentalities, said additional lmeans including a plate and a threaded adjusting member, said member being engageable with said plate and effective to move it angularly with respect to the rail.

, 3. In a device for lubricating a rail, lubricantapplying means located adjacent to and contactable with the rail, said means including resilient instrumentalities arranged to form a pocket, one of said instrumentalities being longer than any other of the instrumentalities and having an end engageable with the rail, lubricant-supplying means connected to the resilient instrumentalities and to the pocket, a bracket connected to the rail, land screw means engageable with said bracket and effective to move it angularly.

WILLIAM F. HUCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 884,118 Winton Apr. 7, 1908 1,714,184 Moore May 21, 1929 1,792,342 Whitmore Feb. 10, 1931 1,880,672 Bates Oct. 4, 1932 1,860,688 Muzzy May 31, 1932 1,899,767 Merk Feb. 28, 1933 2,152,696 Huck Apr. 4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 

